Highly place sources have confirmed to Gainako news that the embattled TV icon and Broadcast Gambian Journalist Fatou Camara has indeed escaped the four corners of the small West African State of the Gambia. The details and circumstances surrounding her escape and with whom are still sketchy.
Ms Camara was facing charges of alleged Sedition and was arraigned before Magistrate Lamin Mbai at the Banjul Magistrates Court. She was charged by prosecutors with spreading false news and publication of false news. The charge sheet read in court stated: ‘‘Fatou Camara sometime in the month of September 2013 in Banjul and other places in the Republic of The Gambia with intent to tarnish the image of the President of the Republic of The Gambia, published false news about the president on the Freedom Newspaper.’’ She denied the charges and was granted bail with a lofty amount of D5 million dalasis equivalent of almost $150,000 US Dollars.
Fatou, who was the pioneer and host of the famous TV show the “Fatou Show” on the country’s only TV station was arrested September 17th, 2013 and detained incommunicado for almost two weeks. Until recently she was appointed Director of Press at the State House twice before she was dismissed but allowed to continue to broadcast news and host her show on Gambia Radio and Television Services (GRTS).
The television personality was potentially facing a jail sentence of up to 15 years as a result of the Internet Censor laws which was recently passed in the Gambia. All indications were that her trial was going to attract high publicity and public interest including international interest groups fighting against the oppression of the press in the Gambia.
Apparently she was quite uncertain of her future but was willing to stay in the Gambia and face the music our sources said. She was reported to have said that she was going to leave everything in the hands of God who decides the fate of every human being. However, given the government’s recent unruly behavior and unprecedented diplomatic chaos with the West, President Jammeh is allegedly angry and was going to set examples on citizens. Giving this situation an alleged sophisticated operation was mounted to help her escape to an unknown destination. Gainako will continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the alleged operation and escape and will update our readers as appropriate.